Second-graders in Marita Cifaloglio's class at Edgarton Christian Academy in Newfield show off letters they wrote about what they're thankful for on this holiday. / Staff photo/Cody Glenn

Winslow School fourth-graders in Lisa Cristelli's class wrote letters to The Daily Journal describing what they are thankful for this Thanksgiving. Cristelli (left) is pictured with the class and Principal Debbie Bechtel (right). / Staff photo/Cody Glenn

One of the drawings done by children describing what they are thankful for this Thanksgiving. / Submitted

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Last month, we asked the community to tell us what theyíll say ďthank youĒ for when they sit down to Thanksgiving dinner today.

Here are letters we received:

I give thanks for my niece, Lisa Genna Herron, who is cancer-free for one year. I give thanks for Adam, Lisaís husband. He was by her side from the beginning, expressing his adoration. I give thanks for Morgan, 6, and Collin, 3, Lisaís children. They needed their mother to help their father raise them to be good, productive citizens.

I give thanks for Lisaís students. They needed their teacher to nurture them and give them the required knowledge to continue their educational experience. I give thanks for Lisaís friends. Their support showed their love. I give thanks for all of Lisaís family. We needed Lisa to complete us. All of these pieces made for powerful prayers.

Our requests have been answered for the first year in hopes of many more to come. The world is a better place for Lisaís Divine Blessing.

Dorothy A. Thompson

I have so much to be thankful for. Like my parents for helping me through the good and bad times. My siblings for all the little moments I cherish and for giving me the coolest nephews, my two children who brighten up my days with their beautiful smiles and generous hearts, for my aunts and uncles for being a shoulder to lean on and for the hurdles I went through to find the most loving, generous, funny, amazing man in my life. I will always be thankful for each and everyone of you.

I spent 177 days at the Regional Medical Center and had multiple surgeries. I had excellent care from every employee, from doctors, nurses, aides, housekeeping, safety coordinators, transport, volunteers, office workers, X-ray tech, etc. Also, thank you to the Revs. Jack Schaser, Albert Morgan and Robert Dewayne Green Sr.

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A special thank you to Karen Cohen, for all she did for my family and me. I was treated very well and with respect by everyone. I am also thankful to be recovering and returning to good health.

Carol A. Hunsucker

I am thankful for: ďPeace and Quiet.Ē

Michelle Post

The following letters were submitted by Edgarton Christian Academy in Newfield:

ē The fifth grade at Edgarton Christian Academy is thankful for our loving families, our friends, our good health, for shelter, for food, for life, for firefighters, for all who are serving in the armed forces, for our pets, technology, for the many blessings in our lives, especially our school and the many people who made the school possible, the gift of faith, and our country.

ē The sixth grade at Edgarton Christian Academy is thankful for Godís help and the help of the tireless people for opening our school, for our parents, our pets, shelter, the chance to be living on earth and appreciating Godís creation. We are grateful for God always being with us, even when having trouble on a test, and all the teachers at ECA who have educated us so well.

ē The seventh grade at Edgarton Christian Academy is thankful for our parents, and friends, for the long life of our grandparents, for our classmates and pets and for our parents having jobs. The seventh grade is especially grateful for our education at ECA, for the school itself and for the news giving ECA great publicity.

ē The eighth grade at Edgarton Christian Academy is thankful for our family, friends, homes, food and shelter, good health, our pets, sports and music. We are grateful for the freedoms granted in our country, for Godís blessings, and for the faculty at ECA. Wey are especially thankful for all the people who made ECA possible, and for giving us a place to remain together for one more year until graduation.

These letters were submitted by Marita Cifaloglioís class at Edgarton Christian Academy:

I am thankful for being a student at Edgarton Christian Academy. It has the best principal Dr. Alimenti and wonderful teachers. I am glad having all my friends at Edgarton. My school has a cool big playground. My favorite classes are gym, art and music. I like being a cheerleader at ECA. I love Mrs. Cifaloglio because she is very nice and kind and funny.

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Valeriya Kagdina

I am thankful that ECA has the beautiful playground, my friends and the ECA family that we all love, we care for and we love our teachers and the beautiful Dr. Alimenti.

Cami Cafiso

I am thankful that ECA has beautiful teachers. I am thankful for all the kids in ECA. I love ECA school.

Joshua

I am thankful that ECA has my friends and Mrs. Cifaloglio is so fun to be friends with.

Jimmy K.

I am thankful that ECA has a great playground and we have great teachers. The best one is Mrs. Cifaloglio and I love school because I love Mrs. Cifaloglio.

Ray Winfield

I am thankful that ECA has my friends and the school.

Ceclia

I am thankful that ECA has second grade and Dr. A (Alimenti) I am also thankful for all of the people who helped start ECA.

Nathan

I am thankful that ECA has a fun playground. My favorite is the monkey bars. We take turns on the slide so we are safe.

Vincent

I am thankful for the nice cool school and for the special teachers, Dr. Alimenti and the playground.

Nikki Guzman

I am thankful that ECA has nice classes and itís nice for us. We always have fun at ECA.

William

I am thankful that ECA has lots of teachers and I am thankful we have our family together at ECA.

Alana Zorzi

I am thankful that ECA has clean classrooms and a big playground. I am new here and I made lots of nice friends.

Brissey daMaximo

I love ECA. It is the best ever. Itís because of the teachers and lunch ladies and my Aunt Geri. I learn so much at ECA.

Victoria Negron

I am thankful that ECA has our lunch ready to eat and we have snack. I like the specials. The teachers are fun.

Madison Cathleen Tomasso

Iím thankful for Egarton Christian Academy. Iím thankful for Dr. A (Alimenti,) the teachers and all of the my friends. Also, I like the playground. ECA is the best school ever.

Aaron Ortiz

I am thankful that ECA has nice kids and nice teachers. We learn a whole bunch of different kinds of things. Jesus and God blessed oru school.

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Maria Mazzoni

I love all the teachers, and the playground. I am thankful for Dr. A (Alimenti.) I am thankful for the new school.

Joseph Curcio

I am thankful for my school, ECA. I love the nice teachers and our fun playground. Our classrooms are big, too. ECA is the best.

Emily Volpe

The following letters were submitted by teacher Lisa M. Cristelliís fourth-grade class at Winslow Elementary School in Vineland:

I am thankful for having a hard-working dad who does homework with me even if sometimes I donít really need it. Most of the time, I do need it. At work, he works a long time. He works 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. He helps me with my schoolwork and gives me practice tests. He helps me with school stuff and helps study for tests. He is the best person ever.

He helps me push harder and he never wants to hear me say, ďI canít do it.Ē Even if I am playing football, basketball or baseball, I canít run away from it or heíll get me in trouble. He can do a lot of things and I am thankful for my dad.

Jayden Govan

I am thankful for my mom because she cooks good food for me and my family. She takes me with her to get my hair and nails done. Also, she takes me to buy some clothes, games, shoes, earrings, and necklaces. I even get nail polish, candy, and dresses. My mom me to church with her too. I am very thankful for my mom.

Julia Holmes

Iím so thankful for my sister. She is the greatest sister in the world. Her name is Johani. She is the greatest sister because she is always on my side. She likes to tease me. I think it is funny. She helps me with my homework and projects. When my mom and dad arenít home she gives me food. Iím also thankful for my name because she picked it. Johani might look mean, but from the inside she has a lovely heart. She is fantastic. If I didnít have Johani, I donít know what I would do. She is the best sister and I love her. She really cares about me. We might fight and argue, but I know she loves me and if something happened, she would be the first person there. Thatís why Iím thankful for my sister.

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Kixsia Rivera

I am thankful for my fantastic family because they give me food, a house to live in and clothes to wear. I LOVE THEM! If you came to my house, they would make you feel like you are at home. They would offer you anything and you will leave with a big smile on your face. Thatís what I love about my family. They are loving and caring. I also love them because they are overprotective. Thatís how I know they love me and if one day I get lost, they would be crying so much that they would be able to bathe in their tears. I love them and I know they love me, too. They are the best family I ever had. They are amazing, caring and loving and I wish them the best.

Maricelis Arce

There are so many things I am thankful for. One thing I am thankful for is my parents because they take care of me and give me food. My mom checks my homework so I donít have to fix it at school. Another thing I am thankful for is my teacher, Lisa Cristelli. She helps me learn stuff I donít know about. She helps me when I donít know how to do something. One more thing I am thankful for is my brothers because they give me something to do when I am alone. They play with me and laugh at my jokes. Those are the things I am thankful for.

Trey Batson

Iím thankful for my cat, Tigro. He put his paw on my dad while laying on him then, the next day came, then, presto, he (my dad) felt better! His new nickname to me is ďMagic Cat.Ē I really love my cat, although heís quite a stud. I think he is amazing. Also, I forgot to mention, if it werenít for my dad, Tigro wouldnít be here. Iím thankful for my dad because he let me keep Tigro.

Tony Kapitanic

I am thankful for my second-grade teacher, Mrs. Ochs. I am thankful because she helped me whenever I needed help and was always there for me. She was nice and kind. She helped me achieve my goals. She even helped me learn some multiplication. I wish that she was still my teacher because she was so amazing. I miss my second-grade teacher so much. I am going to make a time machine and go back in time to second-grade and do it all over again.

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Meredith Bond

I am thankful for my family, I couldnít wish for anything better than that. I love my mom and dad because they take care of me and they are the best parents. I also love my sister Amanda. She is the best sister ever. She gives me advice when I need it and she buys me stuff. Most of all, I love my two guinea pigs, Oreo and Reesee. They are cuddly and fluffy. They are the best! I love every single person in my family including my mom-moms and pop-pops. I also love my aunts and uncles. That is what I am thankful for.

Carli Hullihen

I always give thanks for Mrs. Cristelli because she is my best teacher ever. Mrs. Cristelli is the most fantastic teacher I ever had in my life. We do a lot of subjects in school and asks question. There is a lot of subjects, and I like in school. Winslow School is the best. I have been here for five years. I like my school, teacher, and my ESL teacher. I always show respect in school. I like my fourth grade class. I am thankful for my teacher, and my classmates.

Yisena Cruz

The person who makes me thankful is my teacher Mrs. Cristelli I want to thank my teacher because she inspires me to do my best and she makes me understand everything so much better than I do. She is the greatest teacher. She takes you through all of the of the steps. She taught me more division than I already knew. I am also thankful for Mrs. Cristelli because she is so nice and patient. Mrs. Cristelli is so smart and she is always right. She is so spectacular on everything. Mrs. Cristelli reads a lot of books to us and tells us what most of the words mean. Mrs. Cristelli is my favorite teacher in the whole world and I bet she would be your to. That is who I am thankful for.

Jazmin Villafane

My dog Mali makes me give thanks. Sheís very nice to everyone she meets, and never bites or growls. Iím thankful for her because Iím lucky sheís not mean or nasty to others. She will cuddle with you all day if you are home alone. Also, she is very playful and hyper and is amazing at begging and getting what she wants. I feel lucky to have her in my life . These are all the reasons why sheís my little puppy dog, and why I am thankful for her.

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Julia Piekielko

I am thankful for my mom, Elizabeth Torres, because if it wasnít for our mom we wouldnít be in this world. Every day when we see our moms, we should say we love them. Here are three reasons why: Your mom feeds you and cares for you and she even used to change all of our stinky diapers. Donít say your mom is embarrassing because moms lead you to a great education. Your mom is not just your mom, she is a person who loves you. I am thankful for my mom because she is a strong woman who raised all five kids wonderfully. My mom gets me everything, so I canít say she doesnít. I am thankful for my mom because she takes me everywhere and she is funny. She is the best thing that happened to me.

Isyss Yeoman

I am thankful for my family because my family feeds me. I am thankful for my parents because they gave me my life. My aunts and uncles buy toys for me. I love my cousins because they take me to so many places. My aunts, uncles and cousins let us sleep at their houses if something happens at our house. I am thankful for my whole family because they are the best in the world and I love them.

Gino Giordano

Iím thankful for my teacher Mrs. Cristelli. Mrs. Cristelli teaches spectacularly, fantastically and incredibly. I know I was going to have a good year in her classroom. I have had the best year ever so far. I have goals for fourth grade and they are for me not to flip my card before Nov. 19, because it is my birthday. Also I will get in trouble. These are the reasons Iím thankful.

Harrison Bratis

I give thanks for everything because I love my entire family, including my teachers from first grade to fourth grade. I give thanks for my mom because if it wasnít for my mom, I wouldnít be here right now. I give thanks for my friends in school and the president because he said, ďDonít you worry, one day you might be president.Ē I was shocked to hear that and very thankful that he said that to me. Thatís what I give thanks for.

Jovonny Burgher

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My family is thankful for my dad. He likes to do my chores I am so thankful for my dad. My mom is thankful because she does most of cleaning and cooking. She makes my bed and she cleans. My aunt and uncle support me. I am thankful for my family.

Jason Roberts

I am thankful for all my friends. They always help me. For example, one of my friends helped me with my homework. Also, they always play with me. One time we played manhunt. It was a lot of fun. I was ďitĒ last. I have more friends. They do the same things I told you. I am also thankful for my teacher, Mrs. Cristelli. She always helps me with my mistakes and tells me when to stop playing around before I get in trouble. I am so thankful for all my friends and my teacher. I hope they will always help me and play with me.

Seth Huerta

I am thankful for my dog. My dog is so amazing and fantastic because she listens to everything I say and obeys me so much. She makes me laugh and smile every day no matter what. I love taking her for walks feeding her and playing with her. I like teaching her how to do tricks. Sometimes she even sleeps in my bed with me.

My dog is the most amazing, incredible, terrific, wonderful, brilliant, fantastic, and stupendous thing that ever happened to me in my life! I care about her so much, and thatís what I am thankful for, my dog Ruby.

Brooke Benvenuti

Iím so thankful for my mom. Iím thankful for my mom because she takes good care of me. She buys me my clothes and my toys. She even bought a house for me and my brother and my sisters to live in. Iím thankful for my mom because she made me. She always takes me places like the mall and the park. She takes me everywhere. Iím thankful for my mom because she buys me my food. I love my mom and Iím thankful for her. She stays with me and she plays with me. Iím thankful for my mom because she will do anything for me.

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